Thursday, April 9, 2009

I'm pretty sure this is a woodpecker's handiwork. I'm thinking it's probably from the Pileated Woodpecker. What do you think? I'll be going on a "stake out" with my new camera lens in hopes of capturing whichever bird did this.

P.S. I got a Sigma 150-500mm F5-6.3 lens. I'm so excited! Does anyone else have this lens and any tips for me?

YEP, THAT IS DEFINATELY THE PILEATED. The elongated holes are the dead giveaway! I used to own a Sigma 50-500mm. I don't know how heavy your lens is, but mine was a real load, and VERY slow focus. I am hoping you have more love for yours than I did with mine...Good luck with finding your pileated woodpecker!

Wow! I love that tree!! Ha! Those woodpeckers sure work hard. Can't believe all those holes they made. I hear the Pileated but very seldom see him. When I do, he's so fast and hard to catch.Have fun with your new lens. I only take pictures with a Point and shoot Sony DSC-H5. I'm jealous..LOL My next camera will be an SLR I hope. But I don't need much when I'm only taking them through my window. I'd love to have a zoom lens though. I might splurge on one. Then I could see deeper into the woods..!!

ooooo I want that lens! My friend has the same technical aspects but its a tamron and she takes some nice shots. The 500 will be good if you want to shoot warblers and ducks. haha actually a 500 will be good to shoot pretty much anything. Have fun with it!

Wow... that's amazing what a bird can do to a tree! Good luck finding him. I am so envious of your new lens. I know you are loving it! Have fun with all the new great bird photos you can capture with that.

That is definitely a Pileated's work!We own an old storage building and a few years ago we pulled up to it to get something out of storage and there were THREE there doing their work on the rafters by the roof. We had HUGE holes in the building..but the birds were gorgeous!Then I was working on my computer in the basement last week and heard some loud tapping and there he was...I ran to get my camera, and by the time I got out to take the photo, he was gone! Crap! They are SO big and SO beautiful...I am hoping you catch him on camera!!! Good luck!The Retirement Chronicles

Great shot, Shelley, of the Woodpecker Tree!!!! We have a DEAD tree in the empty lot near our home --with alot of woodpecker holes in it... Seems like the Pileated have been busy at your place since the holes are SO big... Mercy!!!

I know nothing about your new lens--but I'm sure you'll figure it all out.

WOW, that's some lens! If it is not image stabilized, set it up on a tripod when getting up around the 400-500 mm range. Any movement by you, no matter how little, will be magnified greatly in your images.

We have the prehistoric looking Pileated here too but we also have damage causing flickers. THEY haved ruined a couple of trees. But I agree with everyone else. The PW. Do you have flickers in your area?

Shelly: Hello again. I just went to Amazon and looked at a whole bunch of their reviews on the Sigma 150-500 lens. Most of them seem to be pretty positive, and that it's a pretty good lens for the money. Please keep us posted on how you like it. I've been contemplating replacing my Canon 100-400 (which I dropped & had repaired, but doesn't seem quite right in the head anymore). Maybe for the price difference, I'd be willing to try the Sigma 150-500 too. The powers that be say that if you do bird photography, you really do need the 500mm reach. Let me know...

I have a Sigma 170mm-500mm lens and I often keep the ISO at 400 to allow for a faster shutter speed. Since my lens doesn't let a lot of light in, I often will increase the exposure compensation too. Overall, for the price, they are a great lens.

Great photo! Yes, it's a Pileated. You are very lucky to have them. We only get to see them on vacation in the mountains. They are amazing birds! I will look forward to your photo of one. I have tried, but they are very tough to photograph. They don't stay in one place very long -- at least the ones I've seen.

I have the discontinued 170-500mm which I bought in 1999. It worked well with my film cameras, but needs "re-chipped"(a computer chip in the lens controls the aperture) to work with my digital ones, so I don't use it anymore. It was definitely a good lens for the money. I never had the chip upgraded as I eventually got the Canon 500mmF4 and now it may be too late as I hear the do not re-chip discontinued lenses.

At any rate that will not be an issue in your case and it should work well for you.